WANTED Captain of the Sharingan
by Jav-chan
Summary: AU - "If you ever leave me I'll kill you." Those were some of the last words she said to him. When Sasuke returned to the island that his crew called home he wasn't exactly sure what he would find, but he never once thought Sakura would deny him.Sasu/Saku
1. Prologue

**WANTED  
Captain of the Sharingan**

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_Prologue_

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* * *

_"They're back!"

Sakura was in the kitchens of Tsunade's Bordello helping the cook prepare the meal for the night's patrons, when the word reached her. It was only through a great will of self restraint and spending too many nights on a cold bed that she was able to resist the urge to follow the other girls down to the port. Karin was among them, she was sure, and it chafed not being able to go with them but she held her tongue and continued chopping the carrots. The stew had just been set to simmer and the kindly cook would need all the help she could get if she was to have everything prepared by the time the Bordello's doors opened in a couple of hours. The slight resentment that she felt in how utterly selfish some of Tsunade's girls were must have shown. The portly woman brushed a whisp of graying hair out of her face as she peered over the pot. She glanced at Sakura out of the corner of her eyes.

"Get on, lass. Don't be letting all of those trollups intruding on your time with the captain. 'Specially that red head. That one don't know her place."

"But the dinner…" Sakura could only stare at the cook dumbly, not completely understanding why a woman who cooked for a _bordello _could possibly refer to Tsunade's girls in such a manner.

"I've been here, serving that old woman for some twenty years now, lass. In all that time not one of her girls has thought to be as kind and helpful as you have been. You stay here and one of those tart will steal Captain Uchiha away before you so much as get a word in. I don't care what the Captain said to you aboard the Sharingan." The cook added when Sakura opened her mouth to protest. "He's only a man, and he's been surrounded by nothing but men for the past three months on this latest venture. I don't think it will take much for any of those girls to seduce him. He's only male, and we all know how bloody useless they are." The cook's face was stern as she turned fully to meet Sakura's wide eyed gaze. She jabbed her wooden spoon viciously at the door. "Now get. If you come back without seeing the captain I'll see to it that you are banned from the kitchen and that your show tonight is cancelled."

Sakura bobbed into a slight curtsy, her lips curving until a small smile as she ran from the kitchens, gathering her skirts as she ran.

The market place was nearly empty, save for a few assistant clerks that were unlucky enough to be charged with looking after the stores in the unlikely event of a client. She ran over the bridge, a sense of giddiness that she had not felt in long time making her chest feel as if it would burst. It had been three months since he had left her in Tsunade's care, three months since she had last seen him, and damned she would be if she wasn't looking forward to tonight.

Although she wasn't entirely certain if she wouldn't slug him first. Of all of the ways to leave a girl…

The mass of people that were gathered on the island's tiny harbor had forced several people to stand on the small fishing boats and onto the small planks that were offsets from the main dock for some of the boats that were just a little larger than dinghies. She caught sight of Tsunade's flaxen twin tails and the bright silks and velvets of the bordello owner's girls. Very close to the dock, not far from where the harbor master was having his men set up the plank to the prow of the Sharingan she saw a familiar shock of burgundy-red hair braided into a stern plait. Gritting her teeth Sakura ducked beneath the beefy arm of the butcher and proceeded to push her way through the crowd. More than a couple of choice curses were thrown her way, and she snapped a shout of the same. When the bookkeeper's apprentice placed her hands on her bony hips and blocked Sakura's way she dragged on the woman's long braid before shouldering past her.

How quick people seemed to forget that she had spent the majority of her girlhood traveling on dangerous ships in the guise of a boy. How quickly they seemed to have forgotten how she had come to be on the island in the first place.

* * *

_His obsidian eyes were hot, just a hint of the sharingan bleeding through as she pulled him down to the cot, her emerald eyes sparkling. There was an unspoken promise there that she wanted and she had shown him, that the same stubborn force of will that had her searching for him for years, wanted him to grant that promise. Her lips quirked up into an almost smile when her bare back hit the rough cotton of his sheets, and settled onto the bed at her side just watching h__im__. He was moving closer, his eyes riveted to her lips when she parted them in a shaky breath. _

_The trepidation that she saw there just a bare moment before the way he started to touch her made her want to scream in frustration._

_She gasped at the feel of his rough calluses stroking languorously over the curve of her hips, and she tilted her neck back in what she hoped was an inviting manner. She flushed darkly at the slight smirk that his mouth curved into, a generous mouth that she had kissed many times over the course of the past month._ _Seduction really wasn't something that she was good at, and it felt as if she was grasping at straws in getting Sasuke to break the hold on his stubborn self control. _

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* * *

_

She had told herself that she would never forgive him, and on some level she was a bit resentful for him leaving her on the sandy beach those few months ago. His callousness shouldn't have been surprising as it was. After all he had grown up as a pirate and lost most of the polish that he had once been the result of the training to one of Konoha Island's most prestigious clans. He couldn't retain his former gentleness and survive the rough life that came with piracy. She understood that, but it had still been a shock. After that night she would have at least expected him to have enough care for her to at least leave her a blanket.

* * *

_For a man that was so notorious for his womanizing that even the idiots in the Navy's hierarchy had heard of it there was something strangely curious about the way his fingers roved over her skin. He traced the curves of her nearly unblemished skin, his eyes riveted to the soft flesh that he touched. His touch got lighter when he splayed his fingers over her stomach and she shivered at the delightful feeling. His lips curved up into one of those rare smirks that was nothing __like_ _the ones that he let the crew see. A shudder wracked her body, and her nerves burned. Sakura had to bite her lip to stop herself from growling at him for being such a tease. It had been hard enough to get to this point, and if she pushed too hard and tried to force him then he might push her away._

_Frankly she __had_ _had enough of that._

_Gooseflesh raised along her skin and that smirk of his grew more wicked. Then his fingers grazed over her bandaged hip that was still a little tender and she couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath that had him stilling._

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Tsunade was the one who had found her shortly after she had woken, and she had 'tsked' in that way of hers while muttering about the many failing of the male gender in their entirety. It certainly didn't help that Sakura had developed a case of acute pneumonia that she nearly died from. The older woman had cheerfully offered to send some sort of missive to the Sharingan and while the thought of Sasuke being so concerned for her wellbeing so far that he dropped whatever pillaging had been planned or harassing the Navy had been highly appealing, she had obstinately refused. There had been a small part of her that whispered, this was Sasuke after all. He wasn't the same kind boy from her girlhood. He was caring, but rougher around the edges than she was really used to. Besides if she had agreed to let the missive be sent out how would she have felt if he never came?

Even now, with his ship in plain view, that thought still caused ice to creep down her spine and was enough to dampen the excitement at the prospect of seeing him again. Biting her lip, Sakura slowed and her shoving became aggressive, suddenly she wasn't quite so eager to see him. She was almost afraid of what she would find.

* * *

_If it hadn't been for the way that his other hand was caressing her uninjured hip in a rather distracting manner then she would have scowled at him. There was something there, something that was as close to guilt as she was ever going to see in him. _

"_Sa-suke?" Damn, she wished her voice had been a little stronger._

_The distracting hand was slowing and his fingers were tracing the edges of her bandage that caused her breath to hitch._

"_It hasn't healed yet?"_

_When he started to pull away Sakura was torn between the sudden desire to slug him or push him on his back and continue the seduction that she had chickened out of. _

_The guilt that she saw when his eyes flickered up to her was the _only _thing—at least that's what she told herself—from following through with either of those actions. _

"_It's fine." She murmured, trying to ignore the shadow pain of the iron hot blade as it had pierced her side that sometimes haunted her. She couldn't stop the slight shiver at the memory and pain that had been intense enough that it had caused her to black out. "It's just a little tender. It's all healed. Even Kabuto said so."_

_His eyes darkened at the name of the ship's medic, and she had to bite her lip to suppress the giggle at the way his lips twisted in distaste._

"_You let him see you?" His tone was dangerous, but Sakura ignored it. Instead she met his obvious displeasure with a glare._

"_I don't see how that is any concerns of yours—Sasuke." She faltered over his name when she nearly gave into the urge to call him Uchiha. It was something that she only did when he had done something to upset her. They both knew that if she dared to do that then there would be absolutely no chance of recovering the mood that he had so effectively ruined. "Besides how else was it going to get healed? Or did you expect me to go to someone else? Naruto, Kiba, Kakashi?"_

_Sasuke's eyes narrowed with each name she gave—at Naruto's name he looked as if he was seriously considering leaving and pummeling his second mate— but Sakura ignored it. If he was going to act like a child simply because he felt a little bit guilty…well, no one could certainly blame her if she used that to her advantage. It took all of her self control to stop herself from grinning when she uttered the final name, the name that was certain to break his fraying sense of nobility that he seemed to have developed lately. Frankly, she was sick of it._

_Bringing a hand up to curl up on his bicep, she didn't speak until she was certain that she had his complete attention. "What about if I had asked Lee-kun?"_

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* * *

_

She recognized the familiar, golden head of the man with the most sunny disposition that she had ever met and she couldn't help but smile. Naruto didn't even bother to walk—_strut_—down the plank like Kiba did. He just vaulted over the ship's rail, grinning wildly.

There was something about Naruto that was so infectious that even with the dread that had quite suddenly lodged itself in her gut she couldn't help but smile as he looked in her direction. Briefly she wondered if he could see her, even though she had hardly gotten onto the dock yet, but pushed the thought back. On this island there was a very, _very_ select group of people that he _wouldn't_ grin at, and she knew for a fact that none of them were present. Even though she knew he couldn't see her just seeing his smile made her feel a bit lighter, just enough so that she was pushing past people more forcefully then before when he turned back to the ship to yell at someone on board.

Although she was finally closer to the pier, the Sharingan was docked at the one furthest away and over the din of the excited crowd she couldn't hear what was shouted or see who he shouted it to.

Whatever it was must have been crass, because the next time she looked up Naruto was rubbing his head as if he was suddenly sprouting a rather impressive lump and Tsunade was cracking her knuckles threateningly. Then a shriek pierced the air, and Sakura's heart sank as she watched all of those women in their jewel toned dresses crowd toward the plank with rabid ferocity. She didn't need to look up to know who was coming down the plank.

* * *

_She wasn't completely sure what it was, but there was something about saying the Green Beast's name, in combination with the 'kun' that she had always reserved for him when they were children that seemed to evoke a rather…possessive response from him._

_Which is exactly what Sakura had been counting on._

_The hand on her uninjured side gripped her hip firmly before snaking between her back and the bed to grip her waist. She barely had time to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from grinning before he settled his body on top of hers, still mindful of the bandaging at her side. She caught a glimpse of something hot and dark in those obsidian eyes that were slowly bleeding red before his lips and teeth were at the juncture of her throat. It was_ _a little harder to breathe as he suddenly nipped at the now sensitized skin of her neck and the hand gripping his arm tightened. _

_She nearly cried out at the hardness that was suddenly pressing insistently at her lower stomach._

"_Never." her heart was thudding in her chest at both the dangerous edge to his voice and the way his breath was harsh and warm against her neck. Already heat was pooling low in her stomach and Sakura whimpered when he ground his body harder against_ _her__. "Never say that man's name in my presence, like _that, _ever again."_

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* * *

_

He looked just how she had remembered him. His raven hair was still in that spiky disarray that came from too many voyages at sea and too little proper care. At least he had claimed once that he didn't have the time to properly care for it. Personally, she was of the opinion that he did it on purpose. After all there were many things that the Captain was _not_, and careless was at the top of the list. As much as her stomach flipped unpleasantly at the thought, Sakura knew that she wasn't the only woman that had laid in his bed and threaded her fingers through the soft stiffness on his unruly hair. Despite the years he had spent at sea his skin was still as pale as it had been the day that she first met him. His black eyes were hard and flinty, and Sakura heard more than a few sighs as he made his way off of the ship.

* * *

"_I don't see how that is—" Her breath caught when her rocked against her h__ard_ _enough for his hardness to slide down to the juncture between her thighs. Then he was nipping at her collar and she couldn't quite remember what she had been trying to say._

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Sakura was hard pressed not to scowl at the way the front of his white tunic was loosely laced so that it showed off an ample amount of his chest. The dark ruby color of the cloth belt that always covered the top of his pants stood in stark contrast to the pristine tunic and it was only when she managed to shove past an irate seamstress that she saw how the tunic clung to him like a second skin.

At that she really did scowl. He probably specifically chose a tunic that was liberally doused with salt water when he had gotten dressed today. She certainly wouldn't have put it past him.

At least he had opted not to wear his leather trousers. Instead they were made of a soft, black material that she knew from experience were very comfortable. It made her wonder if he hadn't perhaps chosen his clothing so carefully after all.

* * *

"_You're mine, Sakura." She trembled and moaned against him, as his mouth started to move lower down her body. The possessiveness in those words sent a heat down her spine that left her feeling needy. She tried to move so that she could grip his shoulders and pull him closer, but she could only stare at him stupidly when she finally realized that, at some point, he had pinned her hands to either side of her head._

_Her moan of frustration quickly turned into a groan at the sudden realization that she was completely helpless to his ministrations._

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_

He stopped when he reached Karin, and Sakura stopped her own shoving to just watch him. Karin gave the captain one of her most sultry smiles, the ones that she reserved specifically for her most favored patrons. Sakura felt stricken, and nearly had to look away when another woman took Sasuke's arm, obviously taking great care to press her bosom along the length.

Suddenly the green eyed woman found the water to be lapping at the side of the dock to be much more interesting. She couldn't even bring herself to look up at the ruckus that the crew suddenly caused and completely missed the Captain's rather panicked look.

"_Sasuke—"_

She missed the way Tsunade shook her head, an almost pitying look in her eyes as Sasuke desperately tried to yank his arm away.

* * *

_Whatever it was that she had been about to protest was quite suddenly lost in a sudden haze of delicious feeling __when he raised his head from her skin only to bring his lips crashing on hers in __an_ _almost bruising kiss. Sakura struggled against the restraint of his hands, desperate to try and return the favor somehow, but it was becoming increasingly harder to think until __all __she could do was cling to him as he continued to rock against her._

The panicked look in his obsidian eyes grew desperate, his fingers twitching as if he was doing his best to avoid touching something vile, when another girl in a dress of sapphire tones removed the sodden black and silver lined jacket from his shoulder.

* * *

_She cried out at the sudden loss of contact when he stepped back to undo the buckle of his breeches._

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"Oi, teme!"

* * *

_From the rumors that she had heard about him from different women from the various ports she had expected him to take her hard and fast. Her body was certainly primed for it by the time he seemed to have even bothered to consider it. She had been scared of the pain, but he had been so unbelievably gentle—something she still didn't understand—so careful that she was sated before he took his own release that she had trouble placing the man laying contented next to her with the same demon that ruled the Sharingan. Always he had been so, so careful, so mindful of the tenderness of her injured hip that it had made her cry at the end._

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Sakura raised her head in time to see Naruto jerk his head in her direction that queasy feeling of despair changed into something entirely different. She wasn't sure when it had happened but at some point Sasuke had stepped away from the dock and was coming closer to her. Her breath caught and it was suddenly very hard to breathe when she realized that he could actually see her.

Karin still clung to his arm, but he didn't seem to be paying her any more attention. His look was that of a man who was starved of thirst just coming across an oasis. It was a look that she had never seen outside of his cabin and was gentle and warm.

* * *

"_Sasuke?" She tangled her fingers into the lock of hair above his right hair._

"_Hmm?" The arm around her waist tightened and he started to trace those lazy patterns on her skin that drove her absolutely crazy again._

"_Will you leave?"_

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* * *

_

Sakura swallowed thickly as he strode purposely toward her, finally managing to shake Karin off. The other woman looked as if she would have immediately given chase if it hadn't been for the sudden surge of woman that were crowding after him.

Just when he had finally managed to step off the dock that led to the Sharingan his eyes starting to burn with a little more than warmth she found herself jostled. Before she could even think to shove back or protest, others were pushing her out of the way, swarming down to meet the crew and rejoice at their return.

* * *

_The look that he gave her was one of perplexed amusement. He tilted his head to the side as he regarded her._

"_What makes you say that?"_

"_Will you?"_

_

* * *

_

Frustration was evident in Sasuke's eyes as he tried to push his way through, and that doubt began to resurface when he just seemed to give up.

Unfairly, Sakura didn't even have time to get angry at him before their eyes met again. The frustration and mounting irritation that was evident in his eyes softened her own wounded feelings somewhat. It was enough, at least, so that she was able to force herself to give him a soft smile. He paused at that and cocked his head when her lips curled upwards in a slight manner. A nearby serving girl at the Bordello swooned at the way the Captain's eyes glittered when Sakura mouthed two words to him.

* * *

_A smug smirk graced his face and Sakura had the rather distinct feeling that—damn him—he had been waiting for her to ask that question. He didn't voice a response and instead pulled her so that her body was half sprawled against him. If it wasn't for the rather awkward position of her arm then it would have felt very nice. She grumbled a bit when he tucked her head under his chin. Then he tangled his callused fingers into her pink tresses and started to comb her hair, pausing only to pull the covers up to __encircle_ _her better._

_

* * *

_

It was the only thing she had to say before someone rather rudely—and obviously not accidently—pushed her off of the edge of the pier.

* * *

"_You know that if you ever did, especially after this, I _will _kill you. You know that right?"_

_Sasuke just smirked before silencing her with a kiss._

"_You talk too much."_

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_

'_Welcome back.'_

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_

**This story is actually an idea that I have been toying with for quite some time. I originally wanted to do it as a post manga ficlet for Matsuri Hino's WANTED manga. It's an absolutely adorable pirate manga. This AU is going to be heavily based on the manga itself up to a certain point. I hope you enjoy it. Unfortunately, I'm still working on Konoha Corp. and the drabbles as well as my fics in other fandoms so it will be a while before another update. On the plus side the chapters will be much longer.**


	2. In Which Sakura Hides From Pirates

**WANTED**

**Captain of the Sharingan**

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**Chapter One  
One Year Ago…  
**_**The Bloody Eyed Pirate  
Her Reason**_

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Part I**_

_**In Which Sakura Hides from Pirates**_

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_Sakura looked around __the room, from__ the polished wooden floors, __to the __sliding doors, __the__ painted screens and was unable to suppress a sense of wonderment. The estates owned by the clans of Konoha Island were truly on a different level __to__ the manor that she lived in with her troupe and it was difficult to stop herself from __halting her stride to__ stare at everything. More __than__ once, the head mistress stopped and scolded at her to keep up. She tried watching her feet on the floor, a half-hearted attempt to keep up with the others until they reached the waiting room. Her __slightly__ scuffed sandals, the best pair of shoes that she owned, did little to hold her interest and it wasn't very long before she was openly gaping at the traditional elegance that surrounded them as they were led deeper into the Uchiha Estate._

_She had been five __years old __when the mistress of the music troupe had come across Sakura in a small shelter just outside of Kobe on the mainland isle of Honshu in the East. Sakura hardly remembered any of her life before then, just the sense that everything had been dark, dreary, and—at times—painful. One thing she did remember __was__ that she__ had__ always enjoyed singing._

_Which was what had prompted the old woman to take Sakura along when she left Kobe to start a troupe of talented musicians from around the world. _

_By the time she was seven the troupe was well known, and although they had never achieved the popularity that the mistress had always dreamed of, there was enough money coming in that even Sakura could afford a little trinket every now and then. Not everyone had appreciated the slight __accent__ that gave Sakura's songs an odd sort of softness that worked well with her clear soprano voice, but they seemed to find the twelve year old girl charming._

_The old mistress credited Sakura's voice __giving__ the troupe __the luck of __being graced with an invitation to perform for one of Konoha Island__'s__ most prestigious clans. Out of all of the islands that they traveled to, it was the residents here that most appreciated her soft accent. Sakura liked to think it was because maybe, in her voice, they could almost remember the country to the East that their ancestors had left so many years ago. The clans remained faithful to the traditions and culture that she __scarcely__recognized__. _

_When the troupe had first __disembarked onto__ the northern part of the isle that was reserved solely for the talented clans of a people that sold their talents to the highest bidder__,__ Sakura had felt almost wistful at the girl that looked to be about her age with __long__ ebony hair and milky eyes__, wearing__ a colorful yukata. It was as they got closer, however, that a chill she remembered from when she was very young crept down her spine. She couldn't quite recall the 'why' of the chill. She only knew that it was a very unpleasant thing, and something she wanted desperately to avoid._

_Maybe that chill was the reason why she found herself wandering away from her troupe mates. She was watching her feet again, letting her pink hair fall forward to obscure her face, and hardly noticed where she was going, her mind concentrating instead on trying to recall why the chill screamed of trouble and pain. It was only when she realized that she could no longer hear the soft murmurs of the other musicians and the raspy voice of the head mistress that she looked up in alarm. The hall that she was in was just as __immaculate__ as all of the others, but somehow the floors didn't seem to shine as brightly. Only a few candles lit the hall. _

_Sakura took a few hesitant steps forward, her green eyes widening when she heard the soft murmur of voices. They were harsh, demanding, and male. Something about the tone of __these__ voices had her moving backwards in the direction that she had originally come in. She knew there was no possible __way __it could have belonged to the few male musicians that belonged to the troupe. __The men she could hear__ spoke in demanding, angry tones that were coming from the end of the hall. The men in the troupe were always soft spoken and on the rare occasions that they did raise their voices it was only to debate about a composer or a piece of music. The one that they were most famous for arguing about was The Devil's Score and where it could possibly be located._

_Of course, there wasn't a musician out there who didn't itch to get their hands on the legendary, cursed score._

_She was concentrating so hard __on__ making a quiet retreat as possible that she completely forgot that the __U__chihas were a clan of ninjas and could move __far __more stealthily __than__ she could ever hope to._

"_What are you doing here?"_

_

* * *

_Sakura swore violently under her breath as she ducked low behind a crate. Digging into her pocket she pulled out the leather thong that she had decided to bring at the last minute. Running her fingers through her hair she cocked her head to the side and listened as she deftly pulled her hair into a tight braid. Heavy booted steps came close to her hiding place just as she finished wrapping the thong around the end of her hair. She breathed as lightly as she dared and waited, balancing on the balls of her feet ready to dart out of the crate at the first sign of detection.

She should have known that a wig wouldn't have been enough.

She held her breath when the sailor got close enough.

"Where did that bitch go?"

Even though Sakura had the distinct impression that he had tried to mutter under his breath the words had been much too loud. She knew with unerring certainty that all the sailor had to do was look down and he would see a few strands of pink hair. She didn't dare move lower to try and hide herself further.

A loud shout came from above and the man turned away, his attention drawn elsewhere.

"Did you find her?"

The sailor stepped away as he let out a string of expletives that confirmed a denial. He walked towards the door, and—more importantly—away from Sakura. It wasn't until the door shut firmly behind him as he left the ship's armory that she allowed herself to breath a sigh of relief and even then she didn't dare to move for several minutes.

* * *

"_Who are you? What are doing here?" The voice was male and sharp, and there was a hint of arrogance in it that had her spine straightening._

_Sakura almost didn't want to turn around, already she could imagine the entertainment being cancelled for the night simply because she was foolish enough to go and wander somewhere that she wasn't supposed to be. Biting the inside of her cheek Sakura steeled herself to face the impending sense of doom that she would no doubt __witness__. The voice had sounded young enough that they couldn't be too much older __than__ her, which was a little reassuring __but __didn't help much. She had been __to__ enough towns __where__hierarchies__ were so rigid that boys her age were sometimes worse. More __than__ once mud had been thrown in her direction because she was a _girl_. Although __hierarchies__ weren't as rigidly structured on this island as they were in other towns and cities that they had performed at, she had been cautioned more __than__ once to be on her best behavior while at the Uchiha estate and to do her best to stay out of sight until it was time for them to perform once they had arrived at their waiting room._

_A lot of good that had done._

"_Hey! Don't walk away from me!"_

_Biting her lip she turned around, keeping her eyes on the floor. Minding the western manners that the old mistress had engrained into her she bobbed __into__ a __curtsey__, the low, respectful type that was due to members of the nobility before slowly raising her eyes to the boy in front of her. _

_His voice hadn't sounded that much older then, but she had to guess him to be at least two, maybe three, years older __than__ her._

_The dark clothing he wore was a little __astonishing__, but Sakura hid her surprise as she straightened, doing her best to stop herself from meeting the boy's eyes directly. _

_The tunic and breeches seemed so out of place __among__ the traditional silk gi, hakama, and kimono that she had noticed the other people who resided in the Uchiha Estate __wore__. They seemed terribly common, and for a moment she felt ashamed for even thinking such a thing. The material seemed to be of a __plain__ cotton, and in some spots it almost seemed to be worn—a clear indication of constant use. _

_That was strange. The old mistress had always told her that the people who bought the troupe's service was never the type to wear an article of clothing more __than__ once. Mentally shaking herself, Sakura allowed herself to only briefly look up at the boy's face—but never, _never_, directly in his eyes—before lowering her head__ once more__._

_If she thought him common for his clothing then that was foolishness on her part. His skin was pale, the kind__ of__ paleness that spoke of very little time in the sun and there was an angle to his nose and chin that could only be called aristocratic. He was very handsome, and to her mortification she felt a light blush creep over her cheek__s__._

"_I apologize, young master." She murmured. She had no idea if he was a son of the house, but with that tone of voice she highly doubted that he could be anything but. "That was not my intent."_

_With her eyes lowered, once again studying the ground, she completely missed the look of what could only be called disappointment that crossed the boy's face. Strangely, Sakura didn't feel __particularly__ scared; she was more nervous of the raised voices that were steadily getting __closer__. She worried her lower lip between her teeth. She needed to think of anything, some sort of excuse to get him to give her permission to leave. Something in her gut told her that she definitely did not want to be in this __particular__ hallway when __the__ men emerged from their room. Gritting her teeth she dared to look up at him once more, to mutter a pardon and beg his leave to remove herself from his presence._

_It was strange but when she raised her head to try and gauge just what she would need to do to get that permission she couldn't __help __but be drawn to his eyes. A light blush spread across her cheeks at the intensity in his obsidian eyes, and Sakura couldn't quite bring herself to look away. It was several moments before she was able to find her words again to beg his leave, and when she finally managed to speak the most that she could manage was a stutter. _

* * *

It most definitely had not been her smartest decision. Sakura fingered the stray locks that had escaped her braid. She liked her hair long and even though pink _was_ a highly unusual color she wouldn't change it for anything. She had been searching for that damnable ship for nearly eight years now. More than one person had told her that eight years was too long a time to be chasing after someone who was in all likelihood dead.

She didn't care. Reaching under her tunic she withdrew the small brass locket that held the dried sakura petals that he had given her all those years ago.

Sasuke had been one of the most important things in her life. He had taught her that there was more to life than just singing and answering to the will of the nobles that ruled the land. She couldn't just leave him be, especially when she didn't even know if he was still alive.

And he was. She just knew that he was.

_He had to be_.

It really wasn't all that fair that their time together had been so short. The week that the troupe had lingered at the Uchiha Estates, and then the five days in which they had stayed on Konoha Isle had been entirely unusual. Usually they never stayed long after their performance was finished and their fee was collected, but something had kept the old mistress—the closest person that Sakura had ever had to a mother—there. The old mistress hadn't been comfortable staying there, but Sakura had never been more grateful. Those had probably been the best five days of her life.

It wouldn't be too far from the truth if she were to say that the time spent on Konoha Isle had changed her life forever.

* * *

_Mayhap—_Now she was even starting to think like the mistress—_ it was the intensity in his eyes, but her __mouth __suddenly felt dry. Young as she was, Sakura knew that the word beautiful would be a grossly inappropriate term for describing the boy in front of her. He was obviously only a few years older __than__ her, perhaps two at most, and just the look in his eyes made butterflies dance in her stomach. Her cheeks grew warmer and it vaguely occurred to her that perhaps this was that attraction that the older women of the troupe often talked about as they prepared meals._

_It was only when someone cleared their throat that Sakura noticed the elegant woman that stood behind the boy. She flushed crimson at the amusement that was evident in the woman's face, and hastily __bobbed__ into another curtsy._

"_I do apologize Young Master, Milady. I didn't mean to wander away from the others I just—"_

_She was rather abruptly cut off when the woman laughed. There was none of the mocking __cruelty__ that she was accustomed to hearing from those of such high birth. Hesitantly, for she wasn't quite sure what to expect (was she going to be __reprimanded__), she raised her green eyes daring to meet the eyes of the lady._

_Her clothing was very similar to the style of dress that Sakura had seen on the little girl just outside of the Uchiha compound. The silk of the kimono looked terribly heavy and uncomfortable but she couldn't help but dazzled by the beauty of it. It was a deep blue and the lines of the silver __embroidery__ seemed to mimic the waterfall that was located at the southern point of the island. The black obi was simple, covered by a silver, woven rope. _

_Why was it that everything about the clans was so __dazzling__?_

_The woman's soft hair spilled over her shoulders in straight ebony strands. Her brown eyes looked past Sakura, in the direction that the girl had been heading away from. Her unpainted mouth thinned into a tight line and she placed an elegant hand on the shoulder of her son._

"_Sasuke, why don't you take her out to the veranda__?__. I'll go and find her guardians."_

_Sakura could only blink when the boy, __Sasuke's__, mouth kicked up into a half smirk as he reached out and grabbed her hand. She couldn't form a __response__ and followed him numbly as he led her down a hall and through a pair of shoji doors._

_As she allowed herself to be pulled she couldn't quite shake the feeling that she had missed something rather important._

* * *

The days she had spent with Sasuke had been the first time that she had found herself wanting something more than the too brief five days that they had been given. She had wanted more than the constant traveling with the troupe. She had only been twelve but she found herself wanting to stay.

The sound of heavy footsteps came from the hallway and she sunk into a low crouch, deftly re-braiding the loose strands of her hair as she waited for a sign that it was safe to move so that she could get off this ship.

Yet again another mistake. Another failure.

She had been so certain that this ship was the Sharingan! After all it had looked like it had a bad enough reputation that, at the very least, could have had a connection to the infamous Bloody-Eyed Pirate, and the few inquiries that she had made at the previous town had confirmed it.

She just really hadn't expected to discover that it was a slave ship that was regularly targeted by the Sharingan.

She contemplated the opening in the hull just across from her. With how choppy the seas where today it would be a simple matter to move the cannon and the hole was big enough to accommodate her slight form.

Sakura reached into her pocket for the hair pins she kept for emergency purposes and secured her braid to the nape of her neck. She listened carefully for the sounds of the sailors, waiting to see if any of them would be coming back. The captain, she had discovered, was a cautious man for all of the fact that he didn't seem too bright.

It took far longer than she would have liked to reach the cannon. Knowing what these men were capable of if they caught her made her act far more cautiously than she normally would have. Sakura had heard rumors of the ports that they would be docking at and the last thing that she wanted to do was to still be on the ship when they arrived.

Maybe they had done her a favor after all.

When she moved for the canon she nearly swore at the locks that she saw that kept the chains attached to the cannon secure. She had gotten really good at picking locks over the last couple of years, but this was going to take time. Probably more time than she really had.

_

* * *

The veranda, it appeared, merely overlooked a small garden with a little koi pond at the far end. Sakura looked up, surprised to see that the estate surrounded the garden on all sides._

"_Generally only members of our clan are permitted to come here." The boy explained after seeing her perplexed expression. _

_She whipped her head around to look back at him, startled, her green eyes wide. Finally, when she opened her mouth to speak she was able to actually form the words she had intended, even though it did come out __embarrassingly__ high pitched._

"_Why am I here…" She didn't dare call him by his given name, but it seemed rude to call him young master. "Uchiha-sama?"_

_The look of amusement in that quirk of the mouth that couldn't quite be called a smile melted into an annoyed scowl._

"_Don't call me that." She would have been lying if she had said that his curt voice surprised here. After all she had been spoken to in a much more offending manner before, but the words that followed it did. "My name is Sasuke. Uchiha-sama is my father and my uncle."_

"_Sasuke-sama."_

_The scowl still remained. "Just Sasuke." He snapped._

"_Sasuke—__"__ She hesitated as she tested the name. Something about saying his name without any honorific just didn't feel right. "—kun." She sorely wished that she hadn't gotten into the habit of pushing her bangs back with clips. There was nothing she would have liked more __than__ the ability to hide from his gaze beneath the fringe of her hair._

_She wasn't sure if it was simply because he was older __than__ her, but there was an intensity about him that unnerved her. He gave her another scowl—which she was quite sure was his way of sticking out his tongue in defiance__!__—and __they__ lapsed into an uneasy silence as they waited for his mother to return with someone from her troupe._

_It wasn't long before Sakura found herself tapping her fingers against the side of her skirt in slight annoyance. She had never been very good with being idle. At times like this, when she was bored, she would usually start working on one of the new songs that the mistress wanted her to learn, but somehow being __here__ with a son of the Uchiha household it felt as if singing would be violating something. Instead she let her eyes wander over the garden._

_It was yet another thing of beauty that she could marvel__ at__._

_A path made of smooth white stones wove around the garden's __entirety__ and she had a sneaking suspicion that the path was not one you wanted to tread on with bare feet. Next to the pond there was, irritatingly enough, a cherry tree and the sakura blossoms were just starting to bloom. At the other end there was a large bonsai tree. The beauty was traditional and elegant and she was quite sure that there was a lot of hidden meeting in the garden that she was just too stupid to understand._

_A slight creak came from behind her and when she turned her head to the source she was surprised to see the young Uchiha—Sasuke, she reminded herself—leaning against the wall watching her._

_To her own mortification Sakura found herself unable to do anything but blush. She opened her mouth to say something, although once more she wasn't quite sure what, when there was a horrible crashing sound that had her shrinking back from the source. Her companion merely looked annoyed—indeed if his grunt was anything to go by—and stared in the direction of the pond. She looked back at him and saw that his hands were moving into rapid succession of…well, they looked almost looked like some kind of hand signs. Then he mouth quirked up into an amused half smirk and he seemed to be waiting for something._

_What exactly it was that he was waiting for became apparent __shortly__ afterwards. She only had time to follow his gaze back to the koi pond before a shriek of rage rent the air. Then something that was very, very orange and yellow was hurtling towards the pond. Sakura could only gape in surprise as the boy sized blur hit the pond with a resounding splash and the garden flooded._

"_Teme!" What she now realized to be a person stood up rather abruptly. All it took was one glance and she immediately knew that this person, boy rather, was not a member of any of the clans. She only had time to wonder just what exactly the boy was doing on the clan part of Konoha Isle before he was moving out of the pond and rushing towards Sasuke. _

_While the boy that was dark and pale this new boy was anything but. His hair was nearly every bit as spikey as Sasuke's,__ but his was__ as bright as a sunflower. His blue eyes, which reminded her of a summer sky at high noon, seemed impossibly bright and his skin was so very tan. Maybe it had to with the fact that there was a strange air around Sasuke that just made him seem older, but this boy looked so much younger, almost closer to her own age._

_It was only when the sun glinted off something in his hand that she was able to begin to grasp just what it was and that this new boy had some strange weapon in his hand. Sakura turned her head towards Sasuke, mouth forming the words for him to watch out but he was gone._

* * *

The first lock had probably been the hardest one to pick. She had wasted too much time waiting, spent too much time being careful. They may have been fools but the captain and his first mate at least had enough common sense to realize that, aside from the hold, this room had the most places to hide. It was annoyingly tedious and nearly every time she tried to release the lock, she had to hide. The other ones were quicker, easier, to undo. Her heart thudded in her chest when she was forced to hide herself between two crates, and she had to bite her lip when they drew much too close for her liking. The ship was being buffeted by the winds and the rough waters and it wasn't just the fact that they didn't see the locks that Sakura didn't have time to hide that was a blessing. The last lock was so rusted that it wouldn't take more than a quick blow to break it. It was a miracle that it hadn't broken already.

Which was something that was rather fortunate for since her hiding place was in a direct path if the cannon was to suddenly break free.

Sakura had just started to roll the cannon forward when the ship started to rock violently. Her breath caught in her throat as she lost her grip on the heavy cannon, but she didn't scream or cry out. There was no time for that. She let it roll forward and smash through the wall. There were shouts coming from all directions and she wasted no time in pushing the chains out of the way and crawling through a small opening. It was strange, but somehow she had a feeling that she wasn't the one they were concerned about anymore.

It only occurred to her, after she had lost her grip on the ships siding and she was plunging towards the icy waters, that she really had no idea how far away they were from land. Most likely, it would have been smarter for her to wait for nightfall and lower one of the row boats into the water to make her escape. The water invaded her nostrils as she kicked and swam up to the surface.

It was only when she broke the surface of the water that she heard the screams. She was too busy trying to figure out what direction land was in—_oh, that way­_—to really care.

But it was too dark for her to see and she couldn't afford to linger. A massive, dark ship with white sails that bore a pirate's emblem that she couldn't quite make out was bearing down on the slave ship. As she made her way, swimming towards the docks, Sakura had this horrible sinking sensation that she had been too rash. Somehow she _knew_ that she had missed a chance. If the cold hadn't been seeping into her limbs she might have taken the time to cry. She knew without a doubt that the ship, that massive pirate ship, belonged to the infamous Bloody Eyed pirate. Something in her would have broke at the thought that she had lost another chance to find him. He was so close, so unbelievably close. If only she had waited!

She pushed these thoughts from her mind, and concentrated on getting back to the port alive. She would rent a room that had a private bath. When she was soaking in hot water instead of freezing in the salty spray, only then would she allow herself to cry over another spectacular failure.

So many years had already passed. He couldn't afford to wait for her much longer.

If he was even still alive.

* * *

_The long, __loose__ strands of her hair brushed her cheeks and neck as the young Uchiha blurred passed, and __for __a quarter of a moment she could have sworn that she saw him grin. Then he was gone and there was a clash and suddenly they were fighting, the strange weapon that they each carried connecting with the disconcerting sound of steel against steel in between the punches and kicks._

_Vaguely she became aware that what she was actually seeing was a battle between two trained ninjas—shinobi. It had been quite sometime since she had last felt so insignificant. They couldn't have been that much older than her but they moved with a grace and speed that she would have killed for._

"_Oh dear." That soft lilting voice of Sasuke's mother had her turning, and Sakura wasn't too surprised to see the old mistress' severe face peering over the Lady Uchiha's shoulder. _

_Sakura's cheeks flushed crimson when her guardian caught her staring and glared at Sakura with __the __most fiercesome one she could manage. It was usually only reserve__d__ for the older boys of the troupe, but this wasn't the first time that Sakura had been forced to bear the brunt of it._

_Hastily remembering her manners she sank into a bow. _

_The Lady Uchiha merely gave another elegant chuckle before placing her hand on Sakura's shoulder._

"_I see Hatsumi taught you well. No need to stand on ceremony with me, young lady."_

_Sakura raised her green eyes to the lovely woman and the rich colors of her kimono in surprise. She had never been addressed by a member of any nobility like that, and it had seemed __so__ sincere. There had been nothing at all mocking about her words. She knew from personal experience that the nobility whether they __were__ members of clans, __descendants__ of royal lineage, or peers of __unsurpassed__ power were very good at playing pretend, but there was something about this woman that told Sakura that deception was __not__ an inherit part of her nature._

_Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't capable of it._

"_Sakura, come here." The old mistress' voice was polite, but there was a strained quality to it that made Sakura pause. She had that look in her eyes that tolerated no delay or disobedience so the young girl scrambled to her teacher's side._

_Already she was dreading the verbal lashing that she was sure to receive the moment they arrived at the quarters that the clan had been generous enough to grant the troupe._

"_Don't be too harsh with her, Hatsumi." _

_The old mistress' lips twisted in a way that only Sakura could __identify__ as unpleasant. The young singer recognized the name Hatsumi. It was one of the many names that people had given her guardian over the course of their travels. She had always wondered at it, and her guardian had replied that one could never be too cautious in the uncertainty of the times._

"_As it __pleases__ you, Mikoto-sama. If it be your pleasure I would like to take young Sakura and retire. We have much to prepare for tomorrow night."_

_The Lady Uchiha, Mikoto, let out a sigh as if that had been the request that she had been __anticipating__, but was still disappointed._

"_Yes, go on. The southern passage will take you to the kitchens. From there a servant will escort you the rest of the way."_

_The old mistress bowed low, ignoring the Lady's __sigh__ of exasperation, and Sakura followed suit, wincing at the way her guardian squeezed her hand too tightly._

_Sakura had thought that there might have been something just a bit different from these ninja clans that __separated__ them from the nobility that the troupe so commonly performed for. Unfortunately, it was becoming __increasingly__ apparent that it was not the case. Her ears would be blistering from the scolding the mistress was sure to give her tonight, and she would most likely be confined to the quarters that had been prepared for them._

_Each step she took felt just a little bit heavier. That meant she probably wouldn't be able to see Sasuke-kun again either._

_

* * *

_**It just now occurs to me that I am combining pirates and ninjas…personally I have no preference. Because Kakashi is damn sexy and so is Sasuke. Of course, so is **_**Captain **_**Jack Sparrow, and, naturally, Pirate Skulls. Please note, that unless I decide to do a crack chapter there will be no shinigami in this fic. **

**Sorry for the shortness after such a long time with out an update. They will meet in the next chapter.**


	3. One Point Five

**I wouldn't call this a real update as far as the continuity of the story is concerned. This, at the time of its writing, was written on a typewriter. A bonafied antique complete with no keys for the number 1 or the exclamation mark. I love it. I really should have used those thirty minutes to finish up the other two chapters of Bound for the month. **

**Technically we haven't even met the Captain yet—even though it's more or less blatantly obvious who he is—but this story is in desperate need of an update so I hope this will tide you over as I attempt to get the next chapter finished this month. As my beta is currently in China this one is unedited. Chances are all future updates will be unedited when they are initially posted until next next summer. I will post the edited version once I receive it back from her.**

**I can almost safely say, though, that the next chapter is pratically halfway written. Of course, when I say that I mean that I am finally wrapping up the 7+ pages of flashbacks. I have no idea what's going to happen in the meat of the story. ^^;;**

**

* * *

****WANTED**

**Captain of the Sharingan**

**

* * *

Chapter 1.5**

**A Reprieve**

**

* * *

**It was very unusual, whenever the Sharingan was docked at one of the _safe_ port cities, for the Captain to be found anywhere but at a local brothel enjoying in the pleasurable company that the city had to offer. Tonight, however, was one of those rare nights when he found himself walking back to his ship before the moon had yet to fully rise. The night air was crisp, unusually cool for this time of year, but sweet. It helped to ease the foul mood that he suddenly found himself in.

Initially he hadn't been certain as to the reason for his agitation. After all, this particular port was as close to home as any of his crew would ever have. The people here were fiercly protective of the Sharingan, her Captain (_especially_ her Captain), her crew and had never suffered the presence of the Navy for long. As a rule, the Navy avoided the small island outside of their routine yearly inspections. This place was more of a home to him then his birth place had ever been so it had been so difficult for him to comprehend when they had entered the tavern that occasionally doubled as a brothel and an information hive that he felt as if something unpleasant was crawling along his skin. It wasn't until a pleasant faced, pale haired singer took the stage that the tavern's owner reserved for her all-age-appropriate entertainment that the feeling became unbearable. He had rushed away from the tavern and pushed away the scarlet haired woman that had settled herself onto his lap in such a manner for it to be considered rude—even for his standards. It was his second-in-command who had identified it for what it was.

Longing.

There had only ever been one woman that he had called a songstress, and even though the pale haired singer had been a washed out imitation and so very different from the woman _(girl?)_ he had known five years ago it had still been a bitter reminder and more then enough to make an old ache hurt. It was only when he ran into his second-in-command that he realized why the aching void felt so keen.

After all it was on a night like this, when the moon hung full in the sky that he had been forced to leave her.

Normally he would be rather disgusted with himself for having such annoyingly sentimental thoughts. Tonight though, as he made his way up the plank of the Sharingan, he couldn't help but think that maybe annoying was rather fitting as far as she was concerned. After all, he had never met another woman beside her that could worm her way into his thoughts like this and make him yearn for her at the most inopportune moments.

He wanted very badly to take the ship, to tear his crew away from their night of rest, so that he could find her. He hated this weakness, this burning desire to seek her out, to hold her soft form. The Captain's hand clenched into a fist. He wanted to lay his head on her lap as he played with the silky strands of her pink hair as he listened to her sing.

Instead he found himself moving towards the mast and climbing the ropes that lead to the crow's nest. Because this port was a safe harbor for them there was never any real need to keep guards posted. Guards were posted at key points of the island so that it was impossible for any Navy spies to sneak through without any of his allies knowing.

He leaned against the edge of the curved wall that enclosed the crow's nest. For a moment, if he closed his eyes as a light sea breeze touseled his hair he could almost smell the slight scent of cherry blossoms on the wind. In that moment of weakness he allowed himself to fancy that the murmur of sound that was coming from the lit street was her sweet, lilting voice.

* * *

**So, yeah, that was really short. I hope its enough to tide you over until I can finish Chapter 2. I almost want to say the A/N was nearly as long as the chapter. Gomen.**


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